The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1887-04-28


displays, unless they are connected
with some object deemed important
10 themselves as individuals, or to the
public, or to both.
When we see an association Of men
Of average sense and character, fair
representatives Of the morality and
piety of the community in which they
live, earnestly pursuing any enter
prise and heartily deyoting their time
and influence to it, commencing it to
their friends, and manifesting, per-
sistently and for years together, their
attachment to, and their interest in it,
we conclude, very reasonably, that it
possesses some great and substantial
advantages bearing some fair propo-
sition to the magnitude of the efforts
made to attain them. An association
which in sixty.eight years, spreads
itself throughout the limits of a great
nation, gathering to its bosom men Of
all ranks and professions, of every va
riety of religions faith and of every
shade of political opinion, the rich
and the poor, the learned and the UNI
learned, from almost every cline and
nation, blending them all together in
harmonious unity, which adorns
cities and towns with costly edifices
and dispenses its charities with liber.
al hand, must have its foundations
laid in some strong, active and endur
ing principle. The great objects a
which it aims must commend them
selves to some powerful and CONTROL
ing element oil human nature. Sucl
an association is that to which W,
belong; and it seems to me that it
leading principles and objects ar
proper subjects of discussion, on sucl
an occasion as this.
odd Fellowship is pre-eminently
social institution, designed to act upol
men in their relation to each Other
and to teach the obligations, and er
force the duties belonging to ant
resulting from those relations. 1t
principles and objects are in strict az
cordance with the most powerful elt
ments of our modern christian civi
ization and here lies, as | think, tn
secret OF It's prosperity and success
You know that the mere fondness fC
such displays as we have had to-day
or an idle curiosity to penetrate tn
mystery in which our rites are shrouC
ed, nor yet the hope OF the pecuniar
benefits to which members may b,
come entitled under certain contingel
cies, however much they may assii
i'll attracting attention or exciting il
r terest, are not OF themselves eithC
} separately or all combined, sufliciel
} to account for the sustained ad III
, tagging zeal with which men devo
, themselves to the duties and burden
imposed by their obligations to the 0
r der, nor for the increase OF its numbe
= and the vigorous growth of its inhl
, ence. The age in which we liy
: marked as it is by many peculiaritie
t is characterized by none OF them,
{ much, as by its active, efficient, con
! prehensiye beneyolence. There new,
} has been period in the worlds histol
= in which moral causes welded such
t potent influence upon the destinies
$ our race, in which the duties that me
o owe to each other were SO fully reco
4 nized, and SO universally acted upo
! and in which there was such profour
e and widespread interest in eve
: thing that tends to elevate and enob
e and help mankind.
t There have been periods in whiC
many Of the attributes of our natu
were as active as they are no
: In poetry and eloquence and the fiji
t arts, Greece is yet unequaled.
e In the grandeur and cootliness
Y her public edifice, and in her marti
: glory, ancient Rome has scarcely be,
surpassed The merchant princes
S Venice and Genoa, pushing the
s trade to the farthest limits of Il
+ known world, and gathering the pr
+ ducts and costly fabrics, and jewels
G Asia and other lands, manifested
+ their highest degree, the same enerj
and enterprise that, in our own da
vhitens every sea with the sails
commence Profound learning, loi
e genius, vigorous character, active al
J, commanding intellect, inventive talel
:, mercantile and agricultural thrift,
. long to the past equally with the pr
. sent But in all former ages, even
. those countries in which we find Il
a most perfect and exalted civilizatio
A We look in vain for parallel to t
. magnificent achievements in the gre
% cause of humanity which we, of
- day, see every where around us.
n thousand agencies are at work for t
n regeneration and improvement of t
: race, all set on foot by an unselfish